Login to enhance your online experience. Login or Create an Account
Logo
Shopping Cart

Shopping Cart 0 Items (Empty)

Nissan YD22DDTi engine factory workshop and repair manual download

Summary (what this is): replacing the transmission input shaft on a Nissan YD22DDTi (manual trans) means removing the gearbox from the car, disassembling the gearbox enough to remove the worn input shaft and its bearings/seals, fitting the new shaft (with new bearings, circlips and seals), then reassembling and reinstalling. Below I give the full beginner-friendly theory, a detailed parts/component description, a safe step-by-step procedure, the special tools you’ll need, common failure modes and what can go wrong, and reassembly/testing tips. Read everything before starting and follow the factory service manual for exact bolt torques, clearances, and oil type.

Safety first (must-do)
- Work on a level surface. Use good quality jack stands under the vehicle; never rely on a jack alone.
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal.
- Transmission is heavy—use a transmission jack (or equivalent) and at least one assistant for lifting. Wear eye protection and gloves.
- If you don’t have a hydraulic press, bearing pullers, or service manual, don’t attempt gearbox internal work — those operations can damage parts and are hazardous.

Why this repair is needed (theory)
- The input shaft is the “drive-in” member of the gearbox: it takes torque from the clutch disc and turns the gearsets inside the transmission. It houses splines that mate with the clutch disc, a pilot-end that rides in the flywheel/pilot bearing, bearings that support it in the gearbox housing, and often the first gear and synchronizer components.
- Symptoms of input-shaft failure: whining or rumbling from gearbox at all speeds or only when clutch engaged/disengaged, excessive play on the clutch lever or shaft, grinding when engaging gears, clutch slipping due to damaged splines, oil leaking from the front seal around the input shaft, and/or broken circlips or a loose shaft.
- Analogy: think of the input shaft as the bicycle crank spindle. If the spindle bearings are worn or the spindle splines are damaged, the bike won’t transfer pedaling force smoothly to the chainring; the same for the car — worn shaft or bearings cause vibration, noise and loss of drive.

Major components you will see and what they do
- Engine flywheel / pilot bearing: pilot bearing supports the input shaft tip and centers the clutch disc on the crankshaft. If the pilot bearing fails, it destroys the input shaft end.
- Clutch disc (friction plate): splined to the input shaft. Transmits engine torque through the input shaft.
- Pressure plate: bolted to the flywheel; releases/engages the clutch.
- Bellhousing (transmission housing): covers clutch and supports input shaft bearings.
- Input shaft: splined rod that goes into the clutch disc and transmits torque into the gearbox.
- Input shaft bearing (front bearing) and rear bearing(s): carry radial and axial loads; front bearing often pressed into the bellhousing.
- Oil seal (input shaft seal): seals gearbox oil at the front where the input shaft exits the housing.
- Mainshaft/countershaft and gears/synchronizers: the gear sets that change ratios; input shaft often carries a gear that meshes with countershaft.
- Synchronizer rings, hub, sleeves: allow smooth gear engagement; often removed/reinstalled when input shaft removed.
- Shift forks and selector mechanism: move gears via synchronizers.
- Output shaft/axles/CV joints: connect gearbox to wheels; removed to separate the gearbox.
- Slave cylinder / release bearing / clutch fork: disengage clutch; must be removed or supported when removing the gearbox.

Tools & consumables (minimum)
- Factory service manual (essential for torque specs, clearances, and procedures).
- Full metric socket set and ratchets, breaker bar.
- Torque wrench (proper range).
- Transmission jack or heavy-duty floor jack + block.
- Jack stands and wheel chocks.
- Screwdrivers, pliers, snap-ring pliers.
- Pry bars, rubber mallet.
- Impact or 6-point sockets for axle nuts (if removing CV axles).
- Bearing puller and installer or hydraulic press (for removing/installing bearings and pressing out/in the shaft).
- Pilot bearing puller.
- Circlip pliers.
- Clutch alignment tool.
- Seal driver set (for input seal).
- Clean rags, brake cleaner, gear oil drain pan, RTV or gasket maker (if required).
- New parts: input shaft assembly (or just shaft if sold that way), front input bearing, rear bearings as required, input seal, circlips, synchronizer rings or hub parts if damaged, clutch kit (disc + pressure plate + release bearing) — strongly recommended to replace clutch while trans is out, gearbox oil (correct spec), any sealant/gaskets.
- Threadlocker (as specified), assembly lube or light gear oil for bearings.

High-level procedure (overview)
1. Prepare vehicle and workspace.
2. Remove front wheels, drain gearbox oil, disconnect CV axles/half-shafts and associated suspension/steering components as needed.
3. Disconnect clutch linkages/slave cylinder, speedo/gearbox sensors, starter motor, and shift linkage.
4. Support transmission, unbolt gearbox from engine, separate gearbox and slide it back off the engine/crank; remove clutch and inspect flywheel & pilot bearing.
5. Disassemble gearbox to the point where the input shaft can be removed (remove bellhousing cover, mainshaft, countershaft as required).
6. Remove snap rings/circlips and press out old input shaft and bearings. Replace bearings, seals and shaft.
7. Reassemble gearbox (respecting endplay and bearing preload where required), reinstall clutch, mate transmission to engine, refill oil, and test.

Step-by-step detailed procedure (beginner-focused)
Follow the factory manual for specific fastener locations and torque specs. I’ll describe one reliable sequence for a front-wheel-drive YD22 transaxle type job.

A. Preparation
- Park, apply parking brake, chock rear wheels.
- Disconnect negative battery cable.
- Lift front of car and support with jackstands under manufacturer-specified lift points. Remove front wheels.
- Clean working area of grease and debris to avoid contamination when opening gearbox.

B. Remove components blocking the gearbox
- Drain gearbox oil into a suitable pan (remove drain plug).
- Remove the starter motor (gives access to some bellhousing bolts).
- Remove shift linkage/selector linkage from transmission (label or photograph connections).
- Disconnect speedometer cable or electronic sensor(s), reverse light switch wiring.
- Remove the slave cylinder or release bearing assembly from the bellhousing. If hydraulic, either disconnect the hose and plug it or unbolt and hang the slave out of the way so you don’t stress the hose.
- Remove driveshaft/axle(s): remove the hub nut (requires holding hub or using brakes), disconnect lower ball joint or strut bottom to allow axle to be withdrawn from hub, then pull the CV axle out of the gearbox (use a gentle pry with a puller, avoid damaging the seal).
- Detach any wiring harnesses or brackets bolted to the gearbox housing.

C. Supporting & unbolting the gearbox
- Position transmission jack and place a wooden block on it to support the gearbox.
- Ensure the jack supports transmission weight.
- Remove all bellhousing bolts that connect gearbox to engine. There are usually a pattern of bolts around the bellhousing and some top ones behind the starter.
- On many cars two or three bolts attach the gearbox to the engine cradle or crossmember; remove those if required.

D. Separate gearbox from engine and remove
- Carefully slide the gearbox away from the engine (a slight rocking motion helps). The input shaft must disengage from the clutch splines and pilot bearing; if it’s stuck, check for any remaining bolts or clipped wires.
- Lower and remove the gearbox from under the car on the transmission jack.

E. Remove clutch & inspect pilot bearing/flywheel
- With the gearbox out, unbolt the pressure plate and remove the clutch disc.
- Inspect flywheel for hot spots, scoring; resurface or replace if required.
- Remove and inspect the pilot bearing located in the flywheel/crank nose — if worn it will damage the new input shaft. Replace pilot bearing whenever replacing input shaft.

F. Gearbox disassembly to access input shaft
- Drain any remaining oil and clean the gearbox exterior.
- Remove bellhousing cover (some cases). Remove any covers securing the input shaft and bearing.
- Carefully remove shift forks and synchronizer assemblies as needed to allow mainshaft/countershaft removal. Document the order of gears, hubs, and shims — take photos and label them.
- Remove the mainshaft/countershaft assembly if required; the input shaft is often held by snap rings or circlips inside the housing and supported by bearings pressed into the case.

G. Remove input shaft and bearings
- Remove snap rings/circlips that retain the input shaft gear/hub.
- Use a hydraulic press or bearing puller to press the input shaft out of the gearbox. The front bearing may be pressed into the bellhousing. Do not pry the shaft out by hammering — you’ll damage bearings and bore surfaces.
- Remove the old input seal and clean the sealing area.

H. Component inspection and replacement
- Inspect gears, spline condition on input shaft and clutch disc, synchronizer rings for wear, and the bearing seats inside the gearbox case.
- Replace the front input bearing and any other bearings that show wear. Always replace input seal with a new one.
- Replace any damaged circlips, synchronizer rings, or synchronizer hubs if worn.

I. Press/install new input shaft & bearings
- Pre-lubricate bearings with light gear oil or assembly lube.
- Press the new bearings onto the new input shaft as required (or press shaft into case depending on design) using correct drivers that press on the bearing outer race — pressing on inner race will damage bearings.
- Install new circlips/snap rings to the correct groove.
- Fit the front oil seal into the bellhousing to manufacturer depth using a seal driver.

J. Rebuild gearbox
- Reinstall mainshaft, countershaft and synchronizers in correct order. Check gear endplay and parallelism if the manual specifies.
- Reinstall shift forks and selectors.
- Fit bellhousing cover and torque bolts to spec. Clean any mating surfaces and use new gaskets or RTV where specified.

K. Reinstall clutch assembly
- Clean flywheel surface, mount clutch disc using alignment tool and bolt pressure plate to flywheel—tighten bolts in a star pattern to proper torque.
- Install new release bearing if you removed it; grease sliding surfaces lightly per manual instructions.

L. Refit gearbox to car
- Raise gearbox with transmission jack, align input shaft to clutch disc and pilot bearing, and slide gearbox into place. It should seat flush once splines engage — do not force; using an alignment tool or slightly turning the shaft can help.
- Reinstall bellhousing bolts—tighten to torque in the correct sequence.
- Reattach starter, shift linkage, sensors, slave cylinder, and all wiring.
- Refit CV axles into gearbox and hub; torque hub nuts to spec, reconnect suspension/ball joints.
- Refill gearbox with the correct gear oil to the level specified.
- Bleed clutch hydraulic circuit if lines were disconnected.

M. Final checks & test
- With car still on stands, start engine and test clutch engagement/disengagement and gear shifting with wheels raised—verify no leaks and that gears engage smoothly.
- Lower vehicle and perform a road test, listening for unusual noises and checking for leaks or vibration.

What can go wrong (and how to avoid it)
- Damage to splines or pilot bearing: if pilot bearing is left old or already rough, it will quickly destroy a new shaft. Always replace the pilot bearing and inspect clutch disc splines.
- Pressing bearings improperly: pressing on the wrong race will ruin a bearing. Always press on the race that transmits the load for that fit (outer or inner) and use correct sized drivers.
- Wrong circlip orientation or missing circlip: a missing/incorrect circlip will let the shaft shift and destroy the gearbox. Keep track of clips and orientation.
- Incorrect bearing preload or endplay: some gearboxes require shim packs or preload settings. If not set correctly you get premature bearing or gear failure and noise. Follow the factory spec exactly.
- Contamination: dirt or debris inside the gearbox will accelerate wear. Work in a clean area, cap open parts and clean all parts before assembly.
- Oil leak from improperly seated seal: install new seal flush and square with housing; lubricate lip to avoid dry start.
- Overlooked clutch wear: don’t re-use an old clutch disc unless you are certain of its condition; replacing clutch while trans is out is common best practice.
- Bolts and torque errors: bolts must be torqued to spec in the correct sequence—under/over-torquing causes failures (warping flywheel/pressure plate, bolts backing out). Use a torque wrench.
- Dropping or misaligning the gearbox: transmission falls can cause severe injury and damage; always use a transmission jack and a helper.
- Lost small parts: organize bolts, circlips, springs and synchronizer parts — take photos during disassembly.

Replacement parts checklist (recommended)
- New input shaft assembly or replacement shaft
- Front input bearing (and any other bearings specified)
- Input shaft oil seal
- Pilot bearing/bushing
- Full clutch kit (disc, pressure plate, release bearing)
- Any worn synchronizer rings or hubs
- New circlips/snap rings if old ones are spread or worn
- Gearbox oil (correct grade)
- Gaskets, sealant, threadlocker as needed

Testing & break-in
- After assembly and refill, allow engine to warm to operating temp and re-check gearbox oil level.
- First 200–500 km: avoid heavy loads and rapid shifts; check again for leaks and for unusual noise.
- Re-torque any accessible fasteners if the manual recommends.

Final notes (short, practical)
- This is not an engine-out job but is a heavy and technically precise repair. If you don’t have a press, specialty pullers, or a service manual, do not attempt internal gearbox work; have a reputable transmission shop press the shaft and bearings if needed.
- Keep a clean, organized workspace. Photograph every step if you haven’t done transmissions before.
- Always consult the Nissan factory service manual for exact bolt locations, sizes, torque figures, clearances and any special Nissan service procedures (shim thicknesses, bearing preload, etc.).

No questions asked — that’s the full how-to, why, what parts are, what tools you need, step-by-step removal/replacement and the things that commonly go wrong. Follow the factory manual for the YD22DDTi transaxle model details and torque values.
rteeqp73

You Might Also Like...

Kryptronic Internet Software Solutions